AN INDEPENDENCE FROM EUROPEFormer UK MEP Mike Nattrass

MEP demands action over M6 Toll fiasco

Tuesday, January 31 2012

West Midlands MEP Mike Nattrass has called for the M6
Toll to be nationalised following an announcement that charges to
use the road are to rise again from March 1.

The UKIP MEP, who is a member of the EU’s Transport
& Tourism Committee, has called on the Government to buy back
the M6 Toll and put it back into public ownership following news
that charges to use the under-utilised 27-mile long route are to
be hiked despite new figures showing the number of vehicles using
the road had fallen by more than 10 per cent.

Midland Expressway Ltd (MEL), the company that runs the Toll,
has announced that car drivers will be charged £5.50 (up 20p) and
lorry drivers be have to fork out £11 (a rise of 40p) to use the
route from March 1.

These rises will be implemented despite new figures revealing
that more and more motorists are avoiding the route and the
escalating toll charges. Data produced by MEL reported average
daily traffic was 34,286 between October and December 2011
compared with 38,405 during the same period in 2010.

Commenting on these traffic figures and the forthcoming toll
increases, Mr Nattrass said it was time for the Government to
take action and nationalise the road.

He said: “The M6 Toll, which was designed to be a relief
road, has been an abject failure. Figures show fewer and fewer
vehicles are using this road but despite this trend MEL, which
posted £49 million losses last summer, will be hitting motorists
with increased toll charges from March.

“More and more money is being put into expensive
upgrades to the M6 as a consequence of M6 Toll’s
failure.

“Despite this failure, the EU wants to repeat the
mistake elsewhere in this country by extending the toll network
under its European Electronic Toll Service (EETS) Directive.

“It is time for the Government to step in, buy back the
road and put it back into public ownership. This costly white
elephant should be put out of its misery for the good of
motorists and the West Midlands region as a whole.

“Our roads should be free to use and remain in public
ownership. It is time for the Government to act. What is the
value of a road that makes a loss?”

Promoted by Mike Nattrass on behalf of Independence from Europe, both at 48, Fentham Road, Hampton in
Arden, B92 0AY.
Copyright 2014 Mike Nattrass MEP. All rights reserved.
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